Rosie's Story
by J.B. Lionsgate
Summary: Rosie's a newborn. Her thirst for a boy in her class undeniable. She must cope. With Jacob Black, the Pack, and the Cullens helping her, her situation might not be so serious. But there is the slight problem of her Biology teacher out to get her.
1. Devil Child!

Watching these vampires is like hiding behind a light post during hide and seek. They are so absorbed in acting human they barely notice what is going on around them. The girls shop, the men wrestle and play board games, the doctor and older woman act like dedicated foster parents. But my target, the smallest one, has not yet been resolved to the routine of tedious repetition. She pranks, she jokes, she breaks rules, all the while being no bigger than a normal sized ten-year old. With her werewolf boyfriend by her side she seems perfectly carefree, like nothing can dampen her mood. But when she is alone, it all crumbles, like she _is _nothing. I would play on that, making her weaknesses grow until they swallow her. Then she is mine.

The morning I've been dreading has finally come, I'm going to a new school today, not that the thought of school appeals to me at all. I'll probably be a freak there too, like I was at my old school. But Jacob is determined not to let that happen. The only reason Carlisle had transferred me to La Push High was so I could be with him and the rest of the pack. Edward, Alice, and Bella had all graduated last year so I would've been alone at Forks High.

"Rosie! Get your ass down here, you have to eat before Embry and Jacob picks you up!" Carlisle calls from downstairs. I don't even get the chance to move before a strong wind blows my door open and Alice is in front of me, yanking me to my feet.

"I have to fix you up too. I want my little sister to look good on her first day of school." I suddenly feel a lot like I'm in preschool, being led through what I'm supposed to do with unwanted help. "Come on, we don't have much time. Jacob's gonna walk through the door in less than twenty minutes."She grabs me by my arms and guides me into the hall, directly into the bedroom she shares with Jasper. I ignore the rows of mismatched clothing-probably Alice's plans for my wardrobe-and continue into the bathroom. It's bigger than my room and Emmett's put together with all the modern fixtures, including a shower big enough to fit an elephant in. Most of the rest of the room is decorated like a high-tech salon. Makeup is piled in alphabetical order, most of which I can't even pronounce the name of nor understand where exactly it is supposed to go.

"All you need is some around your eyes. It makes them more distinct." She says as she pushes me down in a chair and reaches into a bag of multi-colored tubes. I hold completely still as she smears the near-white liquid over my eyelids. I'd learned not to ask what it was. Whenever I do, she talks nonstop for an hour about the difference between black mascara and dark blue. Or how green eyeliner shouldn't be worn by a girl with red eyes.

"Great because distinct eyes make everyone's life better." Alice laughs her tinkling laugh and goes to work with what looks like a pencil.

"Which outfit did you choose?" Bella asks, appearing in the doorway.

"Number thirty-two. Perfect. Now come on."A light breeze washes over me, leaving me standing in front of the rows of clothes.

"Put this on." I do as I'm told, pulling on several articles of clothing; including a hoody, a pair of dark skinny jeans and some Etnies. As I examine myself in the mirror I shrug.

"Its very nice, can I go now?" I ask. She rolls her eyes and nods, turning to flash across the room, scooping all her clothes into her arms and carrying them back to her closet. I turn on my heels and leave, walking down the hall and descending the stairs. I smile and throw myself over the stair rail, landing on my feet and continuing into the kitchen. Carlisle is already waiting for me, holding out a bag of hospital blood. I take it from him and sit down, sinking my teeth into the thin plastic and relishing the red liquid inside. I gulp it down, feeling my body reinvigorating with every swallow. When the bag is empty I blow out a long breath, the burning in the back of my throat is gone, but I want more. Carlisle takes the bag from me and writes something down on his note pad, I didn't bother to read it, though at first glance I see my name inserted between the scrawls.

"I'm here!" The front door opens and in comes Jacob, glancing toward the stairs first before his eyes dart to me. He envelopes me in a hug as I approach; holding me close to him. "You're not going to try to weasel out of this are you?" I sigh and shake my head.

"I'll probably try but you'll catch me and drag me back like always." He chuckles and pulls away, placing a kiss on my forehead. "Well, let's get this over with. I'm leaving!" I call. "Don't go into my room Emmett!" There is no reply, leaving me to follow Jacob out of the house. His Rabbit stands idle in front of us, he opens my door for me, jogging around to slip into the driver's seat. I stare at the open door, for a moment tempted to turn around and hide in my room until schools over. Jacob leans over the seat, looking up at me.

"Coming or not?" I cross my arms over my chest, still trying to decide. "Come on, you know your going to school whether you like it or not. And I will carry you in over my shoulder if necessary." I raise one eyebrow, making no move to comply. He smirks, reaching for his door handle. He stands up and comes to me, grabbing for my waist. I push his hands away, raising my own in compliance.

"Ok ok, I'm going." I mumble, slumping down in the passenger seat. He watches me for a moment and chuckles, going back to his seat.

"Glad we got that straightened out. Are you ready to get an education?" I shake my head, propping my feet up on the dash board. He pulls away from my house, speeding down our long drive and pulling out onto the road that leads to Forks and on to La Push. "Are you mad at me?" I say nothing, staring out the window. He sighs, reaching across the space to take my hand. His skin is burning hot against mine, a constant reminder of what I've become. "Don't be like that; you know I'm doing this for your own good." I snort, shooting him a look. He shrugs and turns on the radio, chuckling as it's some song by Katy Perry. He always says it makes him think of me because she's singing about someone having somewhat vampiric qualities. E.T. I think it's called. I smirk, listening to him hum to himself.

The song ends as we pull into the parking lot. My eyes fall on Embry's beat up truck, its chipping paint flecked with dirt. The pack occupies the bed, talking amongst themselves as they wait for us. Jacob pulls his rabbit into the space next to them and cuts the engine, looking to me.

"Please be nice?" he pleads.

"Hey, I can either go to school, or I can be nice, but I can't do both." He rolls his eyes and gets out, greeting the guys as he goes to open my door for me. I don't move, glaring at a point on the ground until he reaches to grab me. I relent then, standing up and swatting his hands away again.

"Is there a point to doing that?" he asks, closing the door and following me.

"Frustrate you until you don't make me go no more." I reply shrugging.

"Not going to happen, I've been practicing my resolve all summer. Even your best threats won't work this year." He says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and placing a kiss on my temple.

"We'll see." I reply, stopping to wait for the guys to stand up and get their stuff.

"And how is Rosie doing today?" Paul asks, tickling my chin as he passes to grab his books. I swat his hand away, shivering slightly, and avert my eyes to the cement.

"Let's just say she doesn't want to be here." Jacob replies, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Poor Rosie, being a vampire didn't have all the benefits did it?" Quil taunts as he pecks my cheek. I roll my eyes, looking toward the school. There's a small crowd at the base of the stairs, watching us.

"Looks like you've got a fan club." I comment, looking to Jacob. He shrugs.

"Its natural, gorgeous people tend to have worshippers."

"Don't get cocky on me, that pretty face of yours can be gone in a heartbeat." I pat his cheek, pulling away from him to walk with Paul and Jared toward the school. He smiles and follows me, nudging Quil and Embry with his shoulders.

"I'm sure you'll have a good day." Jared mumbles encouragingly, patting my shoulder as we jog up the stairs. The crowd parts for us, girls glaring daggers at me as I pass.

"Hanging with the hottest guys in school could be fun." I muse as I push open the door, holding it for everyone else.

"Of course its fun, it would be fun hanging out with us even if we weren't hot, right?" Jared jabs me in the stomach, raising one eyebrow.

"Without a doubt." I assure him. He nods in satisfaction, going to meet Kim and get our schedules. She waves to me before they go, and I respond by waving back.

"You're alive so far." Jacob whispers in my ear.

"So far." I repeat. He takes my hands, swinging them at our sides as he kisses me. I smile into his mouth, closing my eyes.

"Oh how will you ever survive here?" He moans, reaching up to twirl a lock of my hair between his fingers.

"I can think of a couple ways."

"So can I." He replies, kissing me again.

"Hey, break it up lovebirds they have standards here." Embry wrenches us apart, stepping in between us.

"Why don't you find a girl this year Embry?" I mumble resting my elbow on his shoulder. He scans the Junior hall in front of us, eyeing one girl reading a book a little ways away. "Imprint?"

"No, but she's hot and she's smart, just my type." He says, waving to the girl as she looks up.

"Do you have a type?" He shakes his head simply and walks over to her, automatically turning on his form of charm. I watch him, crossing my arms over my chest. She blushes at something he says and closes her book, talking with large hand motions.

"Check it out." Jared tosses my schedule to me in a crumbled up ball, looking at his own as he passes out the others. I stick my tongue out at him as I look down at the ball, not sure if I want to open it. Jacob makes the decision for me, un-crumpling the piece of paper and comparing it with his own. His face drops, his shoulders slumping.

"Only two classes together." He says.

"She's got three with me." Paul exclaims, looking over his shoulder. Jacob closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Great, because she's so much safer with you." He replies through gritted teeth. Paul grins and wraps his arms around my waist, swaying me from side to side.

"She's got two with me." Quil comments, hitting Paul over the head. He chuckles and releases me, running to get Quil back as he tries to make a break for it. Several girls push past me, hissing their disapprovals as they pass. My first instinct is to come back with a witty retort, but I only avert my eyes to the floor and take it, waiting for them to go away.

"Hey girl, wanna be with a real man?" A boy passes me on the way to his friends, reaching to grab my behind as he does so. I catch his hand and twist it around.

"No groping south of the equator." I hiss, raising one eyebrow. I twist his arm again, bringing him to his knees. "Or north creep," I knee him in the face, throwing him backwards.

"Rosie!" Jacob pulls me back, leading me away and to our new lockers. "Can you go ten minutes without hurting someone?"

"I can, but its excruciatingly painful." I reply, shrugging as I look to the lock. In my mind I can see the mechanism behind the door, at my silent command it turns and the door swings open. He rolls his eyes, fighting to perfect his own locker combo, and yanks the door open with some effort. He glances behind him at the guys in letterman jackets helping the dude up. His nose is obviously broken, and his blood smells absolutely enticing. I wet my lips, gripping the locker door a little harder.

"Down girl." Paul says, flicking my nose as he punches the locker next to mine. I smirk, watching the dude disappear. A strong scent hits me like a brick wall, knocking my thought processes completely off track. He's just entered, raising one eyebrow at the dispersing crowd, and scanning the junior hall. His blue eyes rest on me almost immediately; taking in my attire in silent approval. I would have noticed his initial gothness, but I was transfixed by his blood. I can hear it above all the others, pulsing through his veins. He smirks, looking down, and walks past me, glancing back at me once before reaching his locker.

"Someone catch your fancy?" Jared taunts, following my gaze. I open my mouth to speak, but close it again as I put my hand over my mouth.

"He smells really good." I whisper, resting my forehead against the cool metal of the locker.

"Thanks a lot, we've only been in school for five minutes and you're already eyeing a new guy." Jacob scoffs shooting the boy a glare as he looks over again.

"No I mean he _smells_ good." His eyes are blank for a moment more, then he takes hold of my shoulder and leads me in the opposite direction of the boy. I can't help trying to turn around, I don't want to go away from him, I want him. Jacob only grabs my other shoulder and forces me to keep walking, glancing behind him as he pushes me into an unused class room. I try to slip under his arm as he releases me, fighting my way back to the door. He pins me against the wall, cupping my face in his hands as I try to struggle.

"Listen to me Rosie." He growls, moving his hands to immobilize my arms. I whimper, glaring longingly toward the door. "You don't want to hurt that guy. You don't."

"I do."

"You don't." He repeats. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to take in his scent. It is so strong it distracts from the boys blood, but only just.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, shaking my head. He sighs, laughing a little.

"Don't worry about it; I'm just glad I don't have any competition." I smile shaking my head.

"Jacob, what guy could _ever _compete with you?" I reply, raising one eyebrow. He laughs again, pressing his forehead to mine.

"Do you really believe that or do I have to convince you?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure, I think you better convince me." He looks at me for a moment before leaning in to capture my lips with his, letting his hands drop to my hips. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as he grunts.

"Break it up you two, this is a class room." Jacob tenses, looking back at whichever teacher had come in on us. The face I see has no name attached to it, but Jacob straightens up and nods respectfully, taking my hand.

"Sorry Mr. Morelli. We'll just go." He pulls me out the door without another word, glancing behind him as he leads me down the hall. "I swear one day that man is going to get tired of catching me in a room with a girl." I raise one eyebrow.

"And when were you in a room with another girl?" The blood rushes to his face, almost making me queasy, and drains again as he looks away.

"Never, psh when did you hear that?" he asks, shifting oddly as he walks. I smirk and roll my eyes.

"I'll kill em all." I mumble simply, pulling away from him and crossing my arms over my chest. He rolls his eyes.

"Come on, it was in between dating periods." I give him a look, nodding to Jared as he waves us over. "You dated Paul."

"I told you never to mention that. And we never made out in abandoned class rooms." I reply. Paul snorts.

"Ya we did, we just didn't get caught." He sticks his tongue out at Jacob and slips in between us, launching into a casual conversation about Lacrosse sign ups. I pretend to be interested, watching his lips move as I search the crowd of teenagers for the boy. To my dismay he's disappeared, probably into his designated homeroom._ Curse society and their schedules. _I hiss to myself, forgetting for a moment that Jacob can hear me. He gives me a serious look as he pushes Paul away and takes my hand. I say nothing, glaring at the floor as we turn and enter another class room. Jacob freezes, almost yanking me off my feet as he pulls me to a stop. I start to object, but I go rigid as the smell hits me again. I stop breathing before it can take over, squeezing his hand as I lean closer to him. He sighs and sits in the second desk on the far-side of the room. I sit in front of him, ignoring the speaking teacher, and glance at the boy on the other side of the room. His posture mimics mine, an 'I really don't want to be here' slump in his desk. At the moment he's trying to pull off having his jacket hood up in class, but it's not going to work as the teacher focuses on him. She practically yells 'hood off young man!' then goes back to her beginning of the year announcements. He rolls his eyes and flicks her off as she looks away, making no move to take his hood off. I blink and it falls from his head. He snaps around to search for the person who pulled his hood off, but there is no one behind him. He turns around again, his expression portraying his confusion, and glances at me. I smirk and look away, pretending to be listening to the speech as it draws to a close.

_'This is a waste of time.' _ I think, rolling my eyes.

"Completely useless." The boy whispers, almost inaudibly, and blows out a long breath as he pulls his hood back up. I look back at him, seeing he's watching me openly.

_'I'm going to kill him if he doesn't look away.' _Jacob growls in my mind. I roll my eyes.

_ 'Don't be so hostile, that's my job.' _ I reply. The boy chuckles and stands up, leaving the room seconds before the bell rings. "Can I go home now?"

"You haven't even gone to class yet."

"So why should I start now? Come on I'm getting really close to begging." He chuckles, pulling me to my feet.

"Not going to work." He wraps one arm around my waist, leading me from the room. "We have this class together. Mr. Garrett."

"Do you make out with girls in his classroom too?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, he just started last year. I don't trust him enough not to bust me for PDA." I roll my eyes.

"You're in trouble when we get home." He pouts and hangs his head, jutting out his bottom lip.

"It's not my fault all the girls in this school want me."

"Hi Jake." We look up at a group of girls. One in the middle, a blonde with a snarky upturned nose, waves and bats her eyelashes. He smiles and nods greeting.

"That didn't help your situation." I say, ignoring her and her friends.

"Oh come on, I never even made out with that girl." He exclaims, turning right to follow a stream of kids into Mr. Garrett's room.

"I suggest you stop talking." I move down the rows of black desks, choosing the seat closest to the window. Jacob takes the one next to me, his expression suddenly serious. I follow his gaze and look away just as fast. The boy sits down at the table in front of ours, strewing his books across the table and looking out the window. "Can I go home for the safety of our secret?" He shakes his head, turning his eyes on me.

"Don't breathe. You'll be okay." He whispers.

"This isn't fair." I moan, putting my head down on the table. I just barely see the boy smirk from my peripherals. He looks back at me for a split second, his eyes locking onto mine. I take a deep breath, gripping the side of the table as the scent fights with the monster barely subdued inside me.

For a moment I allow myself to imagine, I picture getting up and sinking my teeth into his neck, draining him of every drop of blood in his body. It would be so easy, taking his life for a moment of my own pleasure. He would feel nothing, only the temporary confusion and a flash of fear as I snap his neck. The consequences, no matter how great, seem worth it as his hair falls to one side, leaving the near-porcelain skin of his throat.

'Rosie!" Jacob almost knocks me out of my chair, pulling me away from the boy. I blink once and tear my eyes away from his, focusing on a point on the floor. His eyes are wide, as if he knows exactly what I was thinking as he returns to glaring out the window.

"I'm fine." I yank my arm from Jacob's grip, sitting back down on my stool.

"You were going to-"

"No I wasn't." I hiss, shooting him a glare. _'Why would I waste perfectly good Emo hair by killing him?' _He rolls his eyes, jumping as a man enters with unnecessary loudness. The boy doesn't tear his eyes away from the window until absolutely necessary, glancing at me again before turning forward. I don't dare meet his eyes. I stare at the table, making patterns and faces out of pencil and eraser streaks. _'I'm sorry.' _I close my eyes for a moment, blowing out a breath before I stop all together. I won't kill him. I want to, so much. But I'll do whatever I can to make sure I keep control.

"Ms. Chase?" I look up, seeing the teacher-Mr. Garrett- and most of the class staring at me.

"What?" I ask. I openly hadn't been paying attention. My eyes had been focused on the contours of the far wall, my hands clenched into fists on the table.

"Were you paying attention?" He asks, raising one eyebrow.

"No." He sighs, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Vladimir? The answer?"

"Vlad. And the answer is Phylum Chordate." The boy speaks up without looking at me.

"Correct. Pay attention Ms. Cullen, daydreaming won't get you anywhere." Mr. Garrett replies, turning to sketch a diagram on the board.

_'That's sad, even I was paying attention.' _I grit my teeth together, looking out the window. _'C'mon, it was one question.' _ I don't reply, looking at the expo marker in Mr. Garrett's hand. At my silent command it spasms, drawing over the words he'd just written. _'Rosie.' _ Jacob touches my arm in warning, forcing my attention. _'Don't cause problems.' _ I consider ignoring him, seeing the opportunity to get myself out of school. I could cause some chaos and they won't make me go anymore as a safety precaution. I sigh and get out of my chair as I hear the monotone of the bell ringing. I put my hood up and leave the room before anyone else, Jacob trying to keep up with me.

"Rosie." I stop just short of my second period class, waiting for him to catch up. "Are you going to be okay?" He asks.

"If I say no can I go home?" He shakes his head, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Jared and Paul are going to be with you. Tell them if you start to lose control." He kisses my forehead, the touch so gentle I barely feel it. "I love you." He cups my face in his hands, placing another kiss on my mouth.

"I love you too."I whisper, watching as he nods and leaves me, going back down the hall to his English class. I sigh and turn into the room, seeing Paul and Jared already waiting for me in the back of the room. I sit in front of Paul, nodding greeting to both of them.

"How was your first senior class Rosie?" Jared inquires.

"Well, I zoned out most of the class and conspired to kill a teenage boy who did absolutely nothing wrong."

"Wow, I pronounce this man guilty of smelling good. Penalty: Death by vampire." Paul mumbles.

"Poor guy, he had such fine hair too." Jared replies, wiping his eyes as he juts out his bottom lip. I smile, watching Vlad take his seat at the back of the room, two chairs from Jared. Paul stares at him until he looks up, and then shakes his head sadly.

"He was so young." He whispers. "Excuse me." He hides his face, pretending to blow his nose in a piece of paper.

"Knock it off." I hit him lightly over the head, slumping back in my seat.

"So are you going to talk to him or are you going to admire his neck from a distance?" Jared asks.

"Why would I talk to him?"

"Because you'd love to take a bite out of him." Paul answers simply.

"I wouldn't take a bite, just two small holes that could have easily come from bullets." I say, flashing a menacing grin in his direction. He swallows loudly, as does Vlad, glancing at me.

"Look, you intimidate him." Jared whispers.

"Good thing too. They run faster if they're intimidated. And that just makes them more fun to catch." I speak loud enough for Vlad to hear me, watching his pale skin grow two shades paler. Jared chuckles.

"She's comin' for you." Paul hisses and turns away before Vlad could look at him. I can't help laughing, bowing my head.

"Hola Class, my name is Senora Rodriguez and you will address me as such." The woman who enters the room smiles in the class's direction.

"Hola senora Rodriguez." The class moans, watching her write her name on the chalkboard. She turns around again, her smile gone as she glares directly at me. I'd been silent during the introduction.

"You. Come." I stand, going to lean against her desk. "Tell me one word, about this girl in Spanish. The first thing you think when you look at her." Hands shoot into the air, eager to tell the class what they really think of me.

"gótico." Jared says as Senora Rodriguez picks him. "Goth." He repeats. I roll my eyes.

"Corto." One boy answers. "Short."

"Sencillo." Blondie from this morning's friend speaks. "Plain." The word's go on and on, some good, some bad. Most specific words regarding my looks are left out to avoid embarrassment or trouble. I'm perfectly fine with this. I just stand and listen, waiting for Senora Rodriguez to dismiss me to my seat.

"Enojado." I mumble. "Annoyed." Senora Rodriguez smiles, patting my shoulder. I cross my arms over my chest, aware of one last hand in the air.

"Vladimir?"

"Moi Bonito" Vlad pauses before saying the name in English, "Very Pretty." I would be blushing if I could. I look toward the door, fighting the smirk I know is coming. Paul laughs, slapping his hand over his mouth. The rest of the class is silent, staring at him or me. I return to my seat without permission, staring at the desk Senora Rodriguez clears her throat and goes on, explaining the proper pronunciation of Spanish adjectives.

"I'm telling Jacob." Paul whispers in my ear from behind.

"Don't bother, that kid will be facing hell for calling the new girl pretty anyway." I breathe, shaking my head.

"Rosalinda. Hood off." Senora Rodriguez calls over her shoulder as she turns to pick up papers off her desk. "Vladimir, you too." Paul pulls my hood off before I can move 'tsk'ing quietly. I sit still for a moment more, searching my inner files for an entertaining prank.

I focus my eyes on the stack of papers in her hand, counting how many slips from top to bottom. There was an even number, enough to fly in both directions. I drum my fingers on the desk, watching the stack divide in half and then explode out toward the students. The first two rows were surprised, instantly being covered in paper cuts. The rest have half the good sense to duck before the paper hits them. I don't move, the flying papers avoid me, as if I were in a bubble.

"Rosie." Jared grunts warning, swatting away a random paper airplane. I look to the left, seeing Vlad staring at me. "Rosie." I shrug, watching the papers flutter in a circle around her. The rotation grows more and more furious, drawing up a wind similar to a tornado. Papers squash together and hurl themselves out at random students. "Make it drop Now!" I blink, watching the tornado whip into the far wall and disappear. Senora Rodriquez, her body shaking violently with fright, yells at the top of her lungs. She speaks so quickly her words can't be understood by anyone listening. I catch several words like _'fantasma' _(phantom) and _'lanzar' _(attack) mumbled over and over again as she paces back and forth. Paul pinches my arm, pulling me to my feet.

"Make the bell ring." He growls in my ear. The bell rings before the words register, I'm happy to oblige. He pulls me from the room, his features set in a serious expression. I know that expression, and I know I'm in trouble. "What the hell was that Rosie?" He practically throws me into the lockers, pinning me there as he demands an answer.

"ataque de los documentos de Ghost." _(attack of the Ghost papers.) _I reply simply. "Get your hands off of me." I free my arms from his grip, pulling my hood back up.

"What happened?" I see Jacob before I hear him, coming to stand right next to me.

"Rosie pulled a stunt with a whole bunch of papers."

"Scared a Mexican lady out of her mind." Just then Senora Rodriguez comes hurrying down the hallway, being led by Mr. Morelli.

"Devil Child, I saw her! She did it! Devil child!" She shrieks, pointing directly at me as Mr. Morelli tries to silence her. Two other teachers join him and team up to carry her from the hallway. I suppress a laugh, looking at the ground as I wait for them to pass. Jacob runs his hand through his hair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Rosie-"

"I didn't do anything to her. She has no proof."

"It was kinda obvious when the papers hit everyone except you, don't you think?" Paul scoffs.

"Hey chill out man, I was just having a little fun." I retort, meeting his glare.

"Your _fun_ could have exposed you. That kid knows something now; he noticed what you were doing." Jared states calmly, resting his hand on Paul's shoulder.

"What kid? Vlad? No way."

"He noticed something. I saw the way he looked at you." I shake my head, running my hand through my hair.

"This is BS. It was _one _prank and a superstitious hyperactive lady."

"Senora Rodriguez is really jumpy anyway, as long as none of the sane students know it was her then we'll be fine." Embry speaks up.

"What do we do about Vlad then?" Quil asks. We all turn our heads at the same time to look at Vlad by his locker. He's busy, reading something in a book, but I see his eyes dart in our direction.

"I could eat him." I suggest, tilting my head to one side. They all look back to me, giving me almost identical looks. "Just a suggestion."


	2. Goth with just a smidge of Ghetto

Books » Twilight » **Rosie's story**

Author: J.B. Lionsgate

Rated: T - English - General/Romance - Reviews: 8 - Published: 05-29-10 - Updated: 08-07-10

id:6007015

Mr. Garrett tells us we'll be learning about vampires in our mythology class today. He shows us pictures on a slide projector of ancient writings. Cave drawings of despicable creatures, bloodthirsty and untamable. Jacob holds my hand as we look at them, a small reassurance through the onslaught to my nature.

It does little to help me.

I alternate glaring at the pictures and the wall, trying to appear unaffected by the atrocity. But my curiosity wins out and I glance back at the new picture. I recognize one, a hooded figure approaching the camera in an alleyway. The hood hides the figures face, leaving only the mouth. Fangs protrude from the curled lips, glistening against the shadows of the face.

Me.

I remember the man who took that photo. I remember what he looked like, the sound of his voice, the color of his shirt before it was gruesomely stained red. I thought I'd deleted the picture from his camera after he was dead. Apparently not.

Jacob stares at the slide like he does all the others. He doesn't recognize the similarities of the monster on the slide and the monster sitting next to him. The hand he holds is the same hand that snapped the neck of that man, and so many others. The mouth he kisses is the same mouth that has sucked the life out of innocents. Men and women alike.

He has no idea.

Mr. Garrett watches me as he switches from slide to slide, his brow furrowed in contemplation. I try not to meet his eyes, afraid I might convey the crushing secret to him. The smirk he wears is strangely familiar, triggering ancient memories of my parents. I shake my head, letting my forehead fall onto the black wood table. Thirty minutes, thirty more minutes. The clock lies, its slow moving hands pausing to watch me suffer. I consider using my gift to make them move faster, manipulating the illusion of time to my preferences. Jacob squeezing my hand serves as a warning, but ignoring him would be so easy. Moving on to my next class so I could disappear and quench my thirst seems so enticing. I would have to feed on a human, no other sustenance could aid in my resistance of the boy in front of me's blood. I want it more with every passing second, and he can sense the danger he's in. The tense muscles of his back never relax against the thin material of his shirt; his breath coming in uneven pants. His heart beats too quickly, twice as fast as it should, and his fists never unclench.

Between my unrelenting want for his life and the hardening irritation at his existence, I want to know him. I want to understand his mind and his preferences. Understanding these victims is the only way to resist them, thinking about them as a person rather than prey.

The ceiling lights turn on before I'm ready, blinding me as stars dance in front of my eyes. I blink them away, shifting in my seat.

"Are you okay?" Jacob whispers, his expression clouded with concern. He usually ignores my thoughts out of courtesy as I do for him. But I'm aware that he slips and eavesdrops occasionally. I don't want him to see these particular thoughts, if he did he'd tell Carlisle, and my unexplained visits to Seattle would be cancelled.

"I'm fine." I reply simply, turning my attention to a spider crawling its way up the window. I'm tempted to scream even though I'm not afraid. Watching all the girls in the room freak out would be entertaining.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't do it." He whispers.

"Ms. Chase? I trust you were paying attention this time." Mr. Garrett calls on me, leaning against his desk. I hadn't been.

"My name is Rosie." He raises one eyebrow, his smirk growing.

"Ok, Rosie. Can you tell me the proper way to kill a vampire?"

"You have to rip it apart and burn the pieces." I reply simply. He watches me for a moment, his eyes examining my face with a look close to satisfaction.

"Very good." He smiles, a deceivingly friendly gesture, and reaches behind him to pick up a clip board. "I'm assigning you partners, from now until the end of the first quarter you'll work with this person on a project. This project will be on a topic I'll give you." Jacob squeezes my hand, his body tensing as he listens to the names.

Jared and Embry are put together; they breathe out and share a fist bump. Mr. Garrett gives them the topic of Sirens, a Greek myth.

Paul and Quil are put together. They must do their report on mermaids. I watch them smile, eager to learn about the beautiful women of the deep. They obviously haven't seen the new _Pirates of the Caribbean _movie.

Two more kids are paired off, then two more, and two more. I focus on associating the names he calls to faces so I'll know who is who if I run into them in Seattle. They hope they don't run into me. Every student that is assigned glances at me before breathing out. They don't want to be my partner. They fear me, they don't understand why, but they do. "Jacob and Angela." I associate the name, Angela, with the face of the Blondie from this morning. It was hard to forget her anyway, and perhaps more fun to call her 'Blondie' instead of such a common name. When I think of Angela's I think of Angela Weber, a nice girl from Forks. This girl's appearance doesn't come close to giving the 'nice' impression. Jacob blows out a sigh, listening to his assigned topic. Hippogryphs. Creatures that are said to be part bird, part horse. He releases my hand, going to lean against the table of 'Blondie'. I don't like the way she looks up at him, almost deviously. "Rosie and Vlad."

For a moment, I feel human. When I was ten, I remember one of my foster parents being a warden at an institution. I was sent to visit him once and for hours I sat behind a wall of glass, watching condemned inmates waste away in a rec hall. As I look at Vlad, and he looks at me, I feel as if I'm looking at a condemned inmate. He won't live; I know I can't restrain myself. He might as well be on death row. "You'll be doing your project on vampires." I feel like crying, crying for the teenage boy who will never live to be a man. He'll learn my nature when my teeth are at his throat, when it's too late to change his fate.

In my mind I make a promise to myself, to him. I'll make it painless. He won't feel a thing, he won't see it coming. As fast as a blink, it'll be over.

He takes Jacob's seat next to me, watching me out of the corner of his eye for the remainder of the class. When Mr. Garrett gives us time to plan before the bell rings we don't speak. Jared is right, he knows something's coming. He knows I'm dangerous. We stand at the same time as the bell rings; meeting each other's eyes for a split second as we pass. I tear my eyes away. I make sure to remember his expression, serious but not scared. It'll help me to forget the terror-stricken one I'll see before his neck snaps.

I'll be alone in this period, all alone. There won't be Jacob or Paul to keep me from doing something I'll regret. If I lose control, an entire class of people is going to die. I don't give Jacob time to try and comfort me. I don't want to hear how sorry he is that I wasn't paired with him. What's done is done, and an innocent boy will pay the price.

The two-person desks are divided on the two sides of the room. Set on platforms of different height so everyone can see. I choose an empty desk in the middle of the left side, its not surprising when no one jumps to sit next to me. I put my head down on my arms and close my eyes, trying to clear my system of Vlad's scent so I can think clearly again. I manage to get in two noxious breaths of the girl next to me's perfume before the smell invades my nostrils again. I hear him sitting his bag on his half of the desk, and the chair sliding backwards as he sits down. I can feel his eyes on me, hoping for me to look up at him. I don't. I keep my eyes closed, listening to the steadier rhythm of his heartbeat. The sound has a soothing effect on me, the normality of it a reminder of my time of humanity.

"Mr. Morelli draws on the faces of people who sleep in class." I don't realize that he's addressing me until he nudges my shoulder. I open my eyes, sitting back in my chair.

"I wasn't sleeping. I knew you were there." I mumble, running my hand through my hair. He nods, blood flooding his cheeks. He's torturing me; he and the clock are in cahoots to watch me suffer. I clench my fists, crossing my arms over my chest to hide them, and look around me. Blondie is here, sitting on the other side of the room. She and her friend are whispering excitedly to each other, probably because she'd been paired up with Jacob.

They look at me, their eyes growing cold, I recognize that look. Emmett looks at grizzly bears like that when he's about to wrestle with one. He knows he's going to win. I almost laugh, shaking my head. "Game on." Her friend mouths.

"She wishes." Vlad scoffs. "The day she manages to get Jacob Black to like her will be the day my pet pig figures out how to fly." I smile.

"Do you know Jacob?" He shakes his head.

"I've seen him and his friends strutting around the reservation. I'm kinda glad he owns a shirt, maybe my friend will shut up about him now."

"Jealous?" I don't know why I'm taunting him, I'm his killer.

"No way. Why would I be jealous of him?" He makes a face, glaring toward the door. "Scared of him is a better term."

"Goth people are supposed to be _scary _not _scared._"

"I am scary. I saw this little kid yesterday, I didn't come near her and she started screamin' that I was going to suck her blood or somethin'. I swear I have never had to run so fast from a fat lady with a purse." I suppress my laughter, only allowing myself a smirk.

"That must have been fun." I mumble.

"No it wasn't. At one point a police man with a donut and a shot gun joined the chase."

"Did it mess up your hair?" He nods, sideswiping his head to the left. "That's tragic." I wipe my eyes, bowing my head as I pretend to tear up.

"Glad you like. And this hair is way better than Black's."

"I know that's right." A girl bumps my side of the desk as she passes, jumping backward as she looks at me. I see fear in her eyes as I shoot her a glare.

"Sorry. Sorry. I wasn't paying attention I-" She bows her head back into her book and passes me, hurrying over to her friends.

"Wow." Vlad whistles, shaking his head. "You're almost as scary as me."

"Hey. I'm Goth with just a smidge of ghetto; that makes me scarier than you." He snorts.

"Oh please." Mr. Morelli enters, casting a glare in my direction before addressing the class. "Welcome to Morelli's bad graces. Population: us." Vlad whispers, sinking down in his chair.

"No talking Mr. Tod." I almost laugh, bowing my head. He rolls his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. I close my eyes again, making sure I'm aware of where Morelli is at all times. I find it odd that Vlad seems to be looking out for me. He warns me if Morelli looks at me too long or opens his mouth to ask me a question. I'm usually aware by the time he pinches me, but I find the gesture friendly.

Moments pass, turning to minutes after what feels like forever. I can feel his proximity, his leg touching mine just by sheer coincidence, our hands resting inches apart in our pockets. I want him to talk to me again, I want to see him smile.

The bell rings too soon, the rest of the students race from the room, leaving me to open my eyes and glance around. Vlad hasn't left his seat yet either, he stares blankly at the desktop, deep in thought. I stand, letting my chair squeal across the floor to wake him up. He jumps, blinking several times before looking up at me.

"Bell rang." I say quietly.

"Rosalinda. Sleeping in class. That's worthy of a detention. You too Vladimir." Morelli scoffs, leaning against the desk across from ours. I stare at him for a moment, glance in Vlad's direction, then toward the door. Morelli grabs a pad, writing our slips out and then handing them to us. "I'll see you both Saturday." He grabs a sack from his desk and leaves, probably in the direction of the teacher's lounge. Vlad moans, running his hand through his hair.

"I wonder what my dad is going to say. Detention on my first day of school." He mumbles, mostly to himself.

"You weren't sleeping." I pass him and leave the room, heading for the cafeteria. I know he's following me, the gravitational pull of his scent making me slow down so he can catch up.

"Neither were you. I could tell." I don't respond, putting my hood up. "So when do you want to work on this project thing? My dad has a whole bunch of dusty books about vampires that are dying to be opened."

"Whatever works for you. But I already know everything that's in those books. If you don't want to do anything I can do the report tonight."

"How lazy do you think I am?" he scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Plus, if we did that then it wouldn't be any fun convincing you to wear plastic fangs when we give the oral report." I give a skeptic laugh, shaking my head.

"Not going to happen." I smile, flashing my teeth at him. He shivers, bowing his head.

"Fine." He growls, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouts.

"Pouting doesn't get you anywhere, just the same as sleeping and not paying attention in class." I see the cafeteria doors, a steady stream of students enter and exit, using the cloudy day as an invitation to eat outside. I avoid the windows as I pull open the door, moving through without waiting for him. I see Jacob and the others sitting outside, I also see all of their heads turning to look at me.

"Are you going to eat anything? The pizza is green but its not completely inedible." Vlad offers, gesturing toward the growing lunch line. I shake my head, moving toward the side exit.

"I'm not hungry." I respond before I push out, navigating my way over to the table the pack occupies. The stone table was big enough for all of us and more. Built specifically for us. I slip onto the bench next to Jacob, welcoming his warmth as he slips his arm around my shoulders.

"Playing with your food Rosie?" Paul asks, raising one eyebrow. I shoot him a glare, glancing behind me at the socializing students. Blondie and her friends sit nearby, watching us closely.

"What's this?" Jacob snatches the detention slip from my hand and reads it over, rolling his eyes. "Detention? Really?"

"I wasn't sleeping." I reply simply.

"Looks like dinner got one too." Jared comments, gesturing to Vlad as he steps out of the cafeteria. He's in the process of juggling his full lunch tray while shoving his detention slip into the side flap of his bag. I mentally catch the tray as it leans too far to one side, watching him jump and stare at the half tipped food balanced on his arm. I look away before he can see me watching, listening to him catch his tray before it falls.

"Do you insist on showing him our secret?" Paul asks.

"He didn't know it was me." I shoot back at him. "Get off my ass." He rolls his eyes, poking his pizza with his fork.

"Hey." I look up at Jacob, curious about the look in his eyes. He doesn't say anything else, he just kisses me.

"No one wants to see that." Quil puts his hand over Embry's eyes, rolling his own.

"Oh go babysit your imprint Quil." Kim retorts as she sits down next to Jared. I smile, pecking Jacob on the mouth. He chuckles, looking up at Paul's slightly disgusted expression. I do my best to ignore the silent conversation they have, its easy to tell by their expressions. "So how's your first day going Rosie?" Kim asks in an attempt to distract me. I shrug.

"Quite interesting actually, I met a goth boy who will be the death of me and my self control-"

"That hot huh?" She interjects, smirking at my expression. I can't help laughing, seeing Jared's raised eyebrows.

"Of course. I have to do a report on vampires; I have detention for sleeping in class." I go on before he can comment. "Did I leave out anything?"

"You scared Senora Rodriguez into an asylum." Quil adds. I shrug, grunting agreement.

"You think he's hot?" Jared asks, glancing behind him at Vlad eating alone.

"Are you kidding? He has the best Emo hair I've ever seen." I can see Vlad smirk, the action so faint it almost goes unnoticed.

"And the best hearing." I whisper. The smirk turns into a grin as he opens a packet of ranch dressing and pours it onto his pizza. Girls around him make faces, walking a little faster to pass him. He shrugs and takes a bite, seeming to enjoy the taste.

"That is nasty." Jared mumbles, wrinkling up his nose.

"Nice choice." Kim squeezes my shoulder, cocking one eyebrow before taking a bite of her salad. I roll my eyes, seeing Jacob still looking at me.

"What?" He shrugs.

"I'm trying not to say what I want to about the previous conversation." He says, forcing a smile.

"Is Jacob getting nervous about Dinner?" Embry taunts.

"You have nothing to be nervous about." I reply, trying to ignore the fact that Vlad is looking at me.

"Oh really, because you're looking at him almost as much as he's looking at you." Quil says. I shoot him a glare but I can't deny it. It's true.

"It's true." Jared speaks up.

"Well, my excuse is that he smells good. _He _has none." I stick my tongue out at him, making a face.

"Which is why I'm going to kill him."

"He's off limits. If anyone kills him its going to be me."

"Wow. Already getting protective." Paul taunts, exchanging glances with the others.

"I just don't want good blood to go to waste." I mumble.

"You are a saint." Quil puts his hand on his chest, smiling with fake pride.

"He wishes." I let my head fall on Jacob's shoulder, his scent invading my nose. "You smell like a dog."

"In this case that's a good thing." He replies.

"Hey, I think he's gay." Embry gets our attention, watching Vlad amusedly.

"Why do you say that?" I mumble, seeing nothing out of the ordinary about him.

"He just has that gay vibe to him."

"You very often have a gay vibe Embry." Quil mumbles.

"But that's what you love about me." He smiles, looking back to Vlad. "You're right though, he does have the awesomest hair ever." I nod.

"I dare someone to go ask if he's gay."

"I'll do it." Paul offers, standing up to go talk to him. I watch him, examining Vlad's facial expression change. Paul sits across from him, smiling charmingly as he rests his head on his folded hands. They chat for a moment; Vlad seems extremely uncomfortable as they do so. Then Paul asks the question and his expression relaxes and turns to irritation. He replies coldly, going back to his lunch after he shoots me a glare. Paul stands and leaves, looking pleased with himself. "He said he's straight and he hates it when people ask him if he's gay. Way to go Rosie."

"What?" I exclaim. "Embry asked that." Jared chuckles.

"Why would you care? He's just dinner." He scoffs. I roll my eyes.

"He does have feelings. I'd hate it too if people were asking that question."

"Oh, girl you got it bad." Kim says, resting her hand on my arm.

"I do not!" They laugh.

"Well, he's not staring at you anymore." Quil comments. They're right, I shouldn't care if he's offended; I imagine he'd be pretty offended anyway if he were to see half the thoughts running through my mind. For an unknown reason I hate that he feels hurt, I don't want him to feel that way.

"I'm going crazy." I moan, letting my head drop onto the table.

"Wow, he must be hot."

"Hey Vlad!"

"Shut up Paul." I hiss, glaring at him. He ignores me, smirking as Vlad looks up again.

"She thinks you're hot!" If it weren't for Jacob's arm around me I'd jump over the table and strangle him to death. Vlad blushes, looking away in an attempt to hide his grin.

"I hate you." Paul only laughs, glancing back at Vlad again.

"That was mean. She's trying to keep him alive and you're making him think he has a chance." Kim scolds, but she herself is laughing along with them.

"He can hear you." I mumble, hoping Vlad will look in my direction so I can mouth an apology.

"And he has no chance!" Jacob says loudly, glaring at Vlad over Quil's head. "Right?"

"Right." I say, making a face as I look away.

"Hey." I smile, reaching up to put my hand over his.

As Jacob waits for my answer I tune out, listening to Paul, Embry, and Quil discuss sports try-outs. Paul, Embry, Jared, and I are supposedly trying out for the Boy's lacrosse team while Quil and Jacob will be playing football.

"Why am I trying out for sports?" I ask up to Jacob.

"It's said sports help teach discipline." I snort.

"Ya, and my dad was just playing around when he threw a Molotov cocktail at my chest." I'd meant it as a sarcastic reference, but I know I've hit a rough spot. He thinks there's something he could have done, even though we weren't friends at the time. He's gotten past the realization and understanding stages of death and gone on to blaming himself. For me however, I had never really acknowledged my death as anything more than a moment of bad luck. I've heard Carlisle talking about some emotional state I lack that doesn't allow the fact to fully set in. Maybe I'm just too young, maybe it's because of past experiences of abuse. I just don't like to dwell on it. When I do I remember the pain, the feel of my flesh burning, the smell surrounding me as I ran to put the fire out and save my own life. The day is sealed in the back of my mind, and I want it to stay there. I close my eyes, resting my head on Jacob's shoulder, and squeeze his hand. I'm mostly trying to comfort him; it affects him more than me. '_There was nothing you could do.'_ He doesn't respond, his arm clutching me ever closer.

"Make out, make out, make out, make out." Quil chants quietly.

"Shut up Quil." We mumble together, Jacob's cheek resting on my temple.

"Ya Quil, they're having a mind conversation, _again._" Paul moans.

"They're getting annoying." Jared comments.

"Leave them be." Kim steps in again, diverting the conversation to something else.

_'You okay?' _ He smirks, kissing my forehead.

"Why are _you _asking _me_ that question after everything that's happened so far today?" I smile, shrugging as I press my lips to his.

"Just returning the favor." I whisper, squeezing his hand again.

"I'm gonna be sick." The bell rings, lunch period over. Jacob stands, pulling me to my feet, and takes his tray to drop into the trash can. I glance behind me, seeing Vlad has disappeared. He reappears again going into the school with a group of students. His eyes are downcast, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he goes down the hall. I feel an urge to follow him, to see where he goes, wait until he's alone and then strike.

Jacob catches me as I start to move toward the door, keeping a firm hold on my hand as we go. I bite the inside of my cheek, staring at the back of a random student's head as we walk.

"I gotta go to Technology. The health room is that way." Jacob points me in the right direction, leaving me with a hug and a kiss on my forehead. I watch him until he's completely gone from my sight, making sure no one else is watching me directly as I do so. There are no cameras in this part of the hallway, which is kind of stupid considering the wall of doors right next to me, all of which are unlocked. I take a step backward, and then another, and then another, until my back rests against the metal bar of the door. With one more glance at my surroundings I push it, stepping out onto the cement path that led out onto the sports field. The P.E. class would be coming this way soon, on their way for outdoor recreation. So I couldn't hesitate while I was running. I look for the closest connection to the trees, my easiest escape from prying eyes. Picking a direction, I take off; moving faster than human eyes can follow.

The instant wind blows my hair behind me in billows. My silent footfalls throwing dirt and twigs behind me. Colors and shapes pulse in and out of focus, creating shadows in the blur of the human world. I can hear the pound of nearby animal hooves, the scuffling of a squirrel on a tree branch, the crunch of tires on pavement. I turn at the highway, following the sound of cars in the direction of Seattle. No one even suspects my presence as I enter the city. People I run right past don't even glance in my direction as they're blown back by the wind. I smile to myself; they're the lucky ones just to be surprised by the force of my movements. Once I reach Seattle, the people won't be so lucky.

Evening falls in Seattle as the sun sets, leaving only the wariest shoppers and night-crawlers hanging around. I sit on a rooftop, watching people stroll down the streets in pairs or trios. I'm going for loners, those forced into the position of leaving a store or house alone. Even then I only go for older men and woman, never children.

My throat burns as I think of Vlad, why am I wasting my time here when I should be slipping in his window, moving to his bedside and tasting the rich blood his veins keep to themselves. His scent lingers in the air around me, so faint I have to strain my senses to get a whiff. I want more; I want to remember how the scent makes me feel. It can compare to nothing else, even my fleeting love of the smell of hot dogs can't compare. "You'll be the death of me Vladimir Tod." I hiss under my breath, watching an older man stumbling out of a bar. He's alone, his only companion the keg of beer he clutches to his chest as he sways down the side-street. "Perfect." I scale down the wall, my feet touching the ground without a sound. I make sure my hood conceals my face as I take to the shadows, creeping behind the man. He knows nothing of my pursuit, laughing at his own jokes as he talks to himself. I roll my eyes, crouching as I get ready to spring. He turns suddenly, his eyes furious as he glares waveringly in my direction.

Suddenly panicked, the monster takes over, springing at the man. With one jerk of my hands his neck snaps, almost tearing the head completely from the body. Blood oozes from tears in the skin, filling what's left of my thinking mind with longing. My finger nails rip at the remaining skin of the neck, making way for my two pointed incisors. I dig them into the crook of his neck, gulping down the fresh blood. The alcohol taints it exponentially, almost ruining the experience. But the monster is satisfied, the death of this drunkard bringing on this sense of power-bringing pleasure. It feels invincible, like nothing can stop me.

I drag the body to a dumpster where my three other previous victims lay, setting it alight with a pocket lighter before I run. I fail to notice the camera stuck around the corner, the red light watching my every move like the God who abandoned me. The unknown film maker crouched behind a trash can will be the one who blows my secret out of the water, drawing the immediate attention of my family to the timing of it all. My disappearances and the nights of the deaths, too well timed to be coincidence. And with no alibi, I'll be screwed.


	3. I'm a government profiler

Two males and one female, burned beyond recognition and lacking all blood in their veins. They're dead because of me.

The first man I killed, Harry Sherman, had a wife and a first-born son due any day. He'd merely been on his way home from work, leaving the pharmacy with pregnancy vitamins and aspirin. I remember his pleads before I snapped his neck. He mentioned his wife, and his child, right before his head was turned around. But I'd been too far sucked into my delusions to care.

The woman, Kate Spencers, was a single mother of twins. I'd caught her in an alleyway dealing dope for outrageous prices. The monster had convinced me I was doing someone a favor, ridding the world of someone's connection to drugs. Her twin's names had been her last words, followed by a muffled scream, and then silence. I shiver as I see the camera shoots to a picture of her twins in my mind, each ten years old and headed to live with their grandparents.

Then the drunkard man, Nicolas Magio, was a struggling artist. He started his career painting masterpieces, then dissolved himself into alcohol and quickly lost his small fortune in the purchasing of Liquor. The only family he had was a mother in the same state, carelessly smoking a cigarette as she speaks to the camera.

My head throbs, the different scents combining in my nose as I feel a million things at once. Vlad's scent is mixed in the jumble somewhere, his scent faint on my jacket. I focus on the taste it leaves on my tongue, and sting it brings to my nose. I hold on to that, gripping to the shred of comfort that comes with the almost uncontrollable urge to attack something. I need anything to push away the guilt and grief that threatens to take me over.

I can hear the screams, ringing relentlessly in my ears as their faces flash by one by one. The terror in their eyes is sickening, drawing me deeper into my belief of my coming Hell. These people shall be the witnesses on my judgment day, eager to send me straight to the deepest pits of Tortures. I don't blame them, I know what it feels like to be in the victim. And I'd want nothing more to see my killer burn. I suppose the cuteness factor doesn't apply there either, that sucks.

"Rosalinda." I grit my teeth together, keeping my head buried between my arms and the dining table. No one seems to be able to leave me alone today, and the use of my full name means I'm either in trouble or they really need to get my attention. I'm hoping for the second one, only because the first one involves listening to some sort of disciplinary lecture. I moan in response to my name being called, waiting for whoever's calling me to reply. "C'mon, you can't sit there all day." I don't respond again, ignoring the cool fingers that jab me in the back.

"Stop it. Leave me alone." The fingers only get more insistent, adding to the pounding in my temples as I shift.

"Alice, leave her be. Her head hurts." _Thank god for Jasper_. I sigh in relief as Alice huffs and leaves the room. She's disappointed that she can't dress me today, I wear the same clothes I'd worn the day before, my body locked in a hunch over the dining table ever since I'd arrived home. I'd told them I'd been at Jacob's, only to avoid more questioning. That excuse is as flimsy as my restraint; it would only take one phone call to blow my lie out of the water. One lie would lead to all the others, but right now I just want to fight the guilt.

I've taken lives away from the world, just yanked them from existence as if they were nothing. And I suppose they are, worthless. They would have died anyway; it would have been a disease or old age. I simply sped up the process.

I cringe, knowing the words aren't true. The monster tries to convince me that what I've done is natural, that what I've done is right in a way. But it's not, it'll never be right no matter what I tell myself. A child will grow up without a father, like Brady. "Don't think about Brady." I breathe to myself, screwing my eyes shut.

"Rosie, you have company." I let out another moan, slowly lifting my head from the table.

"If it's Jacob tell him to go away!" I reply.

"You must be Vlad!" I smell his scent drifting in from the living room, sweet and deadly as I hear him speaking with Emmett.

"Get away from him Emmett!" I yell, wincing as pain pounds in my temples.

"Now I see why you wouldn't stop talking about him last night." He pushes through the barricaded swinging door, catching the stack of chairs before the fall and moving them away. "You should really make a barricade out of something more consequential." I sigh and watch as Vlad tentatively slips from behind Emmett, a small smirk playing at his lips as he approaches me. "I'll leave you two alone. Don't stain the carpet."

"Out, Emmett!" He chuckles, messing up my hair before taking down the other barricade and leaving us alone. "Do I want to know why you're here?"

"My dad told me to come work on the project with you. He paid me ten dollars not to come home after school." He smiles proudly, patting his jean pockets as he sits his string bag on the table.

"Good for you. And you came now because…"

"School is boring and I don't like Mr. Morelli." I nod, taking his bag off the table and opening it up. "Hands off the bag."

"My house, I can look in your stuff." I shoot him a look, rolling my eyes as I peer inside. "I have to check for concealed fire-arms." I see a disarray of notebooks, papers, several pieces of electronics and a thick hard-back book.

"And I thought I could fool you." He mutters sarcastically, watching as I sift through his stuff.

"You're clean." He takes his bag back, rolling his eyes.

"Glad I check out. Now where do you want to start?" I bite my lip, staring at the ceiling as I pretend to contemplate our options. The only thing I can think of doing is snoop around Carlisle's study looking for something helpful. He's at work and he shouldn't mind if we go in there.

"I'm going to go look through my father's things. You can come with me, or go hang out with Emmett. Your choice." As I get up he mimics me, taking his bag with him as we leave the dining room.

"You got a big house. How many hallways do you got?" I smile, stopping at a wooden door. "We've passed that door like three times."

"I know. I wanted to see how many times I could lead you in a circle before you noticed. The answer is five." He makes a face, rolling his eyes as he turns his attention to the door.

"This go to your dad's study?" I nod and turn the door handle, pushing open the door that fans out into a large circular room. The floor echoes as we walk inside, the polished wooden boards giving a small reflection of the gruesome paintings that cover the walls. He whistles a one-note tone, looking around the place in awe and mild disgust.

"Your dad is serious about this…stuff, isn't he?" He muses. I nod, waving hello to a portrait by the door. The old man it depicts always looks at me when I come in here, it's eyes following me eerily. "Who's that?"

"I have no idea. But he seems to know me." I glance at him, seeing him eyeing the painting in mistrust.

"That's…not creepy at all." He mumbles. I laugh and shrug, taking a book off of a nearby shelf and sitting down on the floor.

"What exactly do we want to start with? History of origin, physical description, blah blah blah?" He shrugs, sitting down next to me.

"Whatever we find interesting." I choose a page and hand the book to him, watching as he reads. "Stop watching me read. It makes me uncomfortable." He states, glancing up at me.

"I'm waiting for you to find something interesting. The only way to tell that is by your facial expression." I say.

"How do you figure that?" I look toward the door before leaning toward him. I stop when our faces are inches apart, smirking as I see he's holding his breath.

"I'm a government profiler." I whisper as I reach for a book beside his head. He releases the breath when I lean away, sitting his book in his lap and busying himself flipping pages.

"Then what do you profile me as?" I look him up and down.

"Goth." He rolls his eyes, smiling as he pulls a notebook from his bag and jots something down with a pen that materializes from his pocket. I read what he writes over his shoulder, all I see is a note about how people buried corpses upside down in an attempt at preventing them from becoming an undead revenant of the past family member. I snort, looking away. Like that would have done any good.

"Problem?" I shake my head.

"It's funny, that burying someone upside down could even be considered a useful tactic. That makes the dead irritable and uncomfortable, and in no way fit to move into the light." I blink as I realize what I've said, glancing to him. "I watch a lot of Ghost Whisperer." He chuckles, nodding.

"And thinking that a dog or a cat jumping over a corpse could turn them into a vampire is just paranoia." He replies. "Severing the tendons at the knees, painful." He winces, one hand going to rub the bend of his knee.

"Not really actually. When you're dead you can't feel anything from the waist down. " I muse.

"And how would you know that?"

"Because I've died before. It's not fun." I say, sideswiping my bangs out of my eyes. I watch his thoughts through his facial expression. He's like a movie projector; I can almost _see _what he's thinking. _How weird is this girl? Is she a witch? What the hell has she been smoking? _"It's called a near-death experience. No I'm not a witch, and I don't smoke." I say, making a face.

"How did you-"

"Your facial expression. Told you I was a government profiler." He cocks an eyebrow, laughing as he shakes his head.

"You get all of that from a facial expression?" I nod.

"You show what you're thinking through your face. Emmett does it to; you just have to know what thoughts are associated with each face."

"Ok and how do you know that?"

"Emmett always says what he's thinking. I tell him different things, and see the facial expression he makes before he says it out loud. It's like reading body language." I say. "Easy." He nods, pursing his lips and looking to his knees. "If you're hungry, there's food downstairs, my mom would love to smother you."

"She has seven kids, and five of your friends to take care of, how could she possibly take care of me?" he asks.

"We're all pretty independent; she can't have her own kids so she's desperate for someone to take care of. She'll probably ask anyway the second you walk into the kitchen. "

"Do you two want something?" I smile, looking up as Esme pops her head in the door.

"A sandwich?" He nods, thanking Esme.

"Lots of ketchup on mine." I say. She rolls her eyes and disappears to make our sandwiches.

"Ketchup on a sandwich?" I smirk, leaning toward him again.

"It's not ketchup, its blood. I double as a vampire." He cocks a skeptic eyebrow, staring at me before he laughs and rolls his eyes. I'd expected this reaction, knowing he wouldn't believe me even if I looked him in the eye and promised on my mother's grave. Because vampires have fangs and red eyes. My fang-like incisors are tucked away behind my closed-mouth smile and my crimson eyes are hidden under green contacts. He'd never know unless I showed him, and that can't happen if I want to maintain a shred of my own self-esteem, or preserve his life.

"Keep telling yourself that." He mumbles, sniffing as he goes back to his book. I roll my eyes, closing my own book and putting it back on the shelf.

"I want to go back to bed." I moan, slumping down on my side.

"You think I don't? If I wasn't afraid that you were going to draw on my face I'd be asleep right now." He replies.

"That's actually a good idea." I sigh, curling into a ball as I hide my head between my arms.

"Which is why I have to stay awake at all costs."

"I wouldn't use permanent marker. Not until I know you better. I did it to my teacher once in kindergarten and I almost got sued." He chuckles, sitting his book down.

"So what was your near-death experience about?" I don't reply, gritting my teeth together as the memories threaten to surface. My stomach churns, and the floor sways underneath me as the screams come to my ears again.

"Choked on a quarter." I lie, recalling an instance when I'd found a quarter in the couch and Emmett had dared me to swallow it. That wasn't a fun day for me or Carlisle. He had to literally stick his hand down my throat to get it out, while Emmett amusedly filmed it and posted it to our channel on YouTube. I'd won the bet though, and now I'm a dollar richer.

"Really?" I nod.

"The whole thing is on YouTube. Courtesy of Emmett."

"How old were you?"

"Seventeen." He laughs, rolling his eyes. "He dared me, turns out my esophagus isn't as big as my mouth. Shut up." I push his leg as he ignores my order, though I can't help laughing a little myself as he snorts by accident. "You did not just snort."

"I can't help it. Don't tell me you've never snorted before." His tone becomes defensive as he glares at me. He crosses his arms over his chest, his pen balanced on his elbow as his blue eyes meet mine between my arms.

"I have never snorted before in my life." He rolls his eyes, going back to jotting notes. "Don't get all defensive. Snorting is like farting, it's natural." He doesn't respond, thus beginning a silence that is strangely comfortable. I lay on my stomach and read one of the books, my eyes scanning the page as a pen flies across a paper on Carlisle's desk. He can't see it, and he thinks I'm only goofing off, but I'm taking as many notes as he is.

Esme brings our sandwiches to us. She lets us eat in Carlisle's study, which never would have happened if Vlad hadn't been here, and he watches in disgusted curiosity as I eat my PB and blood sandwich. It actually doesn't taste that bad, when you think past the texture it's doable. He insists on trying a bite, which doesn't exactly end well for Carlisle's trash bin.

"C'mon, lunch time is over." He slides a note-pad toward me, tapping the yellow-paper with his pen. His pale complexion is even paler after his release of his sandwich into my father's work space, and I can tell by his sickly expression that he's not feeling too good in the stomach at the moment. I raise an eyebrow, standing and retrieving the notes off of the big mahogany desk in the center of Carlisle's Study. It's already neatly disorganized with medical files and other letters from vampires whose names I hadn't taken the time to memorize. I pick the notepad I'd been using for the notes off the edge of the desk, resting the pen back in its place next to a file curiously labeled 'Rosie'.

"I took these last night." He grouchily takes the pad from me, and I lay back down as he reads the notes over. Our thighs touch from where I lay, his Etnies level with my eyes as I rest my head on my arm.

"Why didn't you tell me that an hour ago? This is like the contents of that entire book." I don't reply, listening to the flutter of pages and occasional grunt of approval. His heartbeat thunders in my ears, and I sigh as the sound seems to drown out the resonating screams of my victims.

"You have a really loud heartbeat." I speak without thinking, interrupting him as he speaks about the consistency of my notes.

"Thank…you?" He raises an eyebrow, completely thrown from his line of thought. I shrug, bringing my knees to my chest as I let my eyes droop closed again. "You can hear my heart beat?"

"Ya, it's louder than your compulsive tapping." He lifts his fingers from the floor, the spastic pitter-patter they'd been causing for the past hour ceasing immediately. "You don't have to stop."

"How good are your ears?"

"Good enough to know that you farted ten minutes ago." His cheeks flush red, and the sound rushing in my ears makes me cringe. I clench my fists, taking a fistful of my own hair in one hand and tugging until I think about that rather than the urge to kill him.

"Sorry." I smirk.

"Paul's are way worse. Yours was a baby fart compared to his." He wrinkles his nose, resuming his tapping as his eyes drift up to my half-concealed face again.

"How'd you end up with all guy-friends?"

"How'd you end up without a girlfriend?" I counter.

"Who said I didn't have a girlfriend?" I turn over onto my back, staring at the ceiling.

"Your body language did." I reply. "Now answer my question."

"I asked a question first."

"I know, and I choose to ignore that question. Now answer mine."

"Well I'm not answering yours until you answer mine." He gives me an adamant look, sticking his nose in the air. I can't help laughing at the comical action, smiling as I mindlessly reach out to brush his bangs out of his eyes.

"Don't do that, you look like you just came out of Abercrombie and Fitch." I lay back on my elbows again, pretending the action never happened as his eyes widen slightly. "I've never been comfortable hanging around with girls. They don't take well to pessimism."

"And guys do?" I smile, shrugging.

"Let's just say in this situation they don't have a choice." It's true. I'm Jacob's imprint, so even if they didn't already consider me a sister they'd still at least have to put up with me. If this wasn't a fact then I probably wouldn't have _any _friends at all, I know that at times I'm not the _easiest _person to be around. Today is one of those times, I'm surprised he's still here at all.

"I don't have a girlfriend because I've never met a girl I could love." He says, surprising me with the sincerity of his tone. "All the girls I've met have had this one major flaw that I can't have in someone that I'd be willing to call my girlfriend." I raise my eyebrows as he pauses, as if for dramatic effect. He leans toward me, only stopping when our faces are inches apart. "They have big feet." He whispers, reaching between my elbow and my side to grab a pen. "See, I can be all dramatic too." I breathe out, realizing I'd been holding my breath, and smirk.

"Very nice." He smiles proudly, going back to writing on his notepad. I watch him, twiddling my thumbs until he finally stops and looks up at me.

"Someone's here." I'd heard the door opening and closing too, and the heavy footsteps resounding around on the first floor.

"Jacob and the others. My pessimism-tolerant friends." I stick my tongue out at him, pulling myself into a sitting position as I hear my name being called.

"Should I hide?" I laugh humorlessly, shaking my head.

"That would only make your situation worse my Goth Co-hort." He pauses, his expression that of contemplation as he works out the meaning of 'Co-hort' in his mind.

"Why am I the follower?"

"It's my house." I shrug, watching him pout.

"I better get some restitution when you come over to my house." I sigh, making a face.

"I don't know, I'm not the type to give restitution. That's an old-people word." His eyes dart to the door as it opens. Jacob stumbles through the doorway, as if pushed from the other side, and eyes us both sitting on the floor surrounded by books, notepads, and a precarious looking blood-stained plate. "Hey Jacob." I climb to my feet, going to greet him with a kiss. His arm wraps around my waist as we both look back to Vlad. His heartbeat is quick and even louder than before, almost drowning out the sound of Jacob's voice as he whispers something in my ear. His eyes dart around in mild fear, like a trapped animal searching for an escape before the slaughter.

"What's he doing here?" Jacob repeats his question out loud when I don't respond to his whisper, squeezing my hip as I look up at him.

"We were working on the project. He showed up, I didn't invite him." I hold up my hands, smirking as Vlad gives me a look.

"Don't tell him that he might eat me!" He hisses as I sit down next to him again. I roll my eyes.

"I'm the vampire remember? I eat people." Jacob draws in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as he looks to Vlad.

"Ya, you keep doing that."


End file.
